GIRLS SO STUPID.

I like feeling pretty and cherished; i think that's true of every girl. There's something about knowing that you're valued by others that gives you self-worth and confidence. Girls thrive off of this- myself included. To a certain extent there's nothing wrong with that. Its when we cant find any sense of self-worth without getting that positive attention, and when we become slaves to the admiration of others, and when our desire to feel 'loved' creates a stumbling block for others that it becomes a problem. 

Every girl knows that getting attention from most guys is as easy as wearing a low-cut shirt or short shorts. Its hard for a guy to ignore a pretty girl who is showing just a little too much skin; that's just the way guys are- that's the way their minds work. If you haven't yet come to this realization then you are: 

a) Definitely not a boy

b) Inexcusably oblivious

Lets clear something up: Im not here to bash guys in any way; they get enough grief. Men are called perverted and disgusting, constantly ridiculed for their apparent inability to keep their minds out of the proverbial gutter. Meanwhile, women dress with less and less modesty- making it nearly impossible for any men who actually desire to keep their thoughts away from sex to do so. 

Im not saying the blame should be entirely placed on women; there are certainly men in the world who are perverted pigs and disregard women and treat them as objects. This is a reality. But there are two sides to every story, and im coming out of the woodworking to tell you the one less favored. 

Here's a story sent to me the other day from a friend.
--------

STORY TIME: 

"Last night i walked down a commonly used staircase in my dorm that leads to both the laundry room and the mailboxes for every resident in the building. I live in a co-ed dorm. Before i made it to my box, my attention was arrested by a bulletin board loudly proclaiming, "Love your breasts!" There were random facts that i dont feel the need to repeat- mostly along the lines of body image and unrealistic standards created by the media, etc. And dont get me wrong, im all for women being comfortable with their bodies and loving the way God made them. What appalled me was not the informative text provided but rather the 10+ pictures of women in lingerie posted all over the board. I stood there for a long time with my mouth hanging open, fuming. In a moment of disgust i paused to cross check my fury against my logic and principle, and after a quick glance down the hall i swiftly ripped off every one of the pictures. I threw them in the recycling bin, but i left the facts on the board."

--------

Its not enough that the sunshine comes out, bringing with it the short shorts, skirts, and unnecessary amounts of skin. And im just going to put out there now that im guilty of this myself. I get it, its hot out, you're not thinking about your brothers in Christ, you're thinking about the sweat you're drenched in. But women have actually felt the need, in the midst of pretending to fight unrealistic standards, to completely objectify women. Parading pictures of half-naked women in front of every guy that wants to do laundry or check his mail this month in the name of promoting good self image? And yet we get angry with men when they stare at us. Not to mention that all this is occurring while women everywhere are crying out about the injustice of double standards. We're dangling chocolate cake in front of starving people and taking offense when they cant stop drooling.

Let me repeat myself... Women have actually felt the need, in the midst of pretending to fight unrealistic standards, to completely objectify women,

And im Furious.  

--------

To the Christ following men who may be reading this:
I commend you for the daily battle you have with lust, and i sincerely apologize for my gender's complete lack of sympathy for your struggles. Its truly inexcusable. I pray that you, my brothers in Christ, would rely on God's grace and strength to pursue holiness and live a life pleasing to he who saved us from the punishment we all deserve.

To the Christ following women who may be reading this:
I challenge you to look at the choices of your daily life- your words, your behavior, and the clothes you wear- as opportunities to uplift the body of Christ and glorify God.

--------

Romans 8:9,11 

"Take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak... by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ."

Galatians 5:13-25

"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."